Lessons Unit 3, lesson 10

k + vowels

The k beginning opening into every vowel it starts words with. Get the mouth ready for k, release straight into the vowel — no gap, no extra sound between them.

What do the marks mean?

ˈriːdread Stressed part — say it louder & longer.

təto Weak word — say it quickly & softly.

∅e Silent letter — don’t pronounce it.

θth Underline — these letters spell one sound.

wa·ter Dot · — a syllable break.

go‿on Linked — blend the words together.

?↗︎↘︎ Arrows — voice rises ↗︎ or falls ↘︎.

ˈsɛvən7 Number — how to say it aloud.

read² ² mark — has a second pronunciation.

guess? ? mark — a best guess; double-check it.

Want the full walkthrough? Read the map explains every mark, with practice.

kk as in cat

The back of your tongue rises to the roof of your mouth, then releases: k. Like a tiny cough, made on purpose.

kid

k + every vowel

One row per combination. Tap any word to hear it — every sheet comes straight from the tool.

k æ	can	cash	carry
k ɪ	king	kill	kid
k ɛ	care	kept	kelly
k ʌ	come	comes	cut
k ʊ	could	cook
k ɑ	car	cause	card
k iː	keep	key	keen
k uː	cool	kudos
k ɔː	call	court	core
k eɪ	case	came	cable
k aɪ	kind	kyle	kai
k ɔɪ	coin	coil
k aʊ	count	couch	cow
k oʊ	code	cold	coach
k ɝ	curve	curse	kirk

One letter, two tongue positions

K isn't made in one fixed spot — the back of your tongue touches further forward for words like key and keep, and further back for words like cool and car. Say key and cool back to back and feel the contact point slide backward in your mouth as the vowel changes.

Aspiration and the back of the tongue

Just like t and p, k carries a puff of air before a stressed vowel — came, case, and cold should all have an audible burst of breath right after the release. The ɔɪ pair, coin and coil, is rare and worth extra repetition.

Go through a column top to bottom, then repeat it with your hand held in front of your mouth, feeling for that puff on every single word, from the front k in king to the back k in court.